RFID is a recent technology for tracking physical items electronically. Tiny RFID tags will eventually be planted within a wide variety of products. The RFID tag itself is inexpensive and therefore will be deployed in vast quantities for a wide variety of purposes. Currently, passive tags cost about 40 cents and are expected to drop to 5 cents in a few years. Active tags are more expensive as they store their own power and have a larger memory capacity. RFID tags are used to keep track of inventory within stores and what has been purchased by consumers. This also can defend against theft. Additionally, RFID can be used for purchasing products, potentially eliminating the need for going to a check out register in a store. Certain prescription drugs that are routinely abused for non-prescription purposes will soon have RFID tags in their bottles.
